The congregation at New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Ensley — a little southwest of Birmingham near Midfield — may be few in number, but their heart for the Lord is a mighty force.
And when God led them to donate their building to the Jefferson County District Missionary Baptist Association, they didn’t blink.
“God said to give the association the building,” Pastor Curtis Lee said, so the decision was easy.
The church body worships in an area on the first floor of the education building that once served as a Sunday School department with adjoining classrooms.
It’s the perfect space for the active members of New Life, but it’s only a tiny section of the full campus — a campus that has enormous potential for reaching the surrounding neighborhood for Christ.
New Life, a 2004 church plant affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, purchased the building in 2009.
They bought it from Green Acres Baptist Church, a once thriving Southern Baptist church and member of Birmingham Metro Baptist Association.
‘God is at work’
And now it’s time for New Life to find another new home, Lee said, noting he and the congregation are confident God is at work with the vision and enthusiasm of the association’s leader, Victor L. Harkins Sr., pastor of Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Bessemer.
Pastor Harkins sees past the leaky roof, damaged flooring and original green paint on the walls.
He even laughed when one of the door knobs came off in his hand as he closed the door behind me. The repairs needed are massive, it’s true, but Pastor Harkins isn’t deterred.
He already sees the bright smiles on the children’s faces as they eat a snack and play games after school — before digging into their homework with a tutor, of course.
He hears the laughter from those same youth as they find a place to belong and grow in positive ways, all while hearing about Jesus and learning to follow Him.
Pastor Harkins senses the relief expressed by the single mothers as they find resources and continuing education opportunities.
He already feels the hugs from the area senior adults who discover a place to serve.
Connecting with others
“We don’t need to recreate the wheel, we just need to connect with the wheel that’s already rolling,” Pastor Harkins shared as we explored the facility.
“This building sits in the midst of the community, and while New Life church has been doing great things, we (as an association of 40 congregations) can do even greater things.
“I’m envisioning this building being in operation seven days a week, and I know God has given the building and the vision to us,” he said.
At the same time, “I know we have to plan. I know we have to prepare, and I know we have to get the building functional,” he added. “I know that doesn’t happen overnight.
“While it is functioning with the New Life congregation, it isn’t fully functional for what it has the potential to do, and that’s where we are looking for partners to help us get the property ready for use,” he said.
Each church in the association also will assist with the overall remodel project. Some will help clean out old equipment, while others will paint walls.
Calvin Bell, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Bessemer (a member of the Jefferson County District Missionary Baptist Association), will oversee the technology side of the building.
He’s working with the Center for Congregational Resources and others to assist with consulting, setup and donations.
Installing proper equipment will not only provide the needed resources for community services but also allow church plants and congregations in transition to hold services in the building.
And “for the first time in its 128 years, the [association] has its own headquarters with an educational wing that can host all of its meetings,” Pastor Bell said.
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